by A. Marie
"Sorry to hear that," he said emptily.
Avelina looked at him with a face full of disbelief. He didn't look sorry in the slightest bit.
"I thought you weren't a liar, Adrik.”
"It wasn't a lie. When you speak, I do sometimes feel deeply sorry for myself for having listened to you.”
She thought about his words for a second. When Avelina fully processed his words, she let out a loud gasp. Before she could fire up anything else to say, Adrik grabbed a telephone and put it to his ear.
"Kensley," he said into the phone.
Avelina found herself tensing as not even a second passed before Zaria walked in. One thing Avelina noticed about the personal assistant was that she was carrying a bunch of bags in her hands.
"Boss," Zaria greeted as she placed the bags down beside Avelina. "I got you more clothes to wear to work. One thing I noticed was that your skirt was a little small. Some girls like their skirts small, and I didn't know if you did or not. So, I got you every skirt in size small but also some in a larger size. Whichever one you don't want or can't fit, we will donate."
"Oh, thank you," Avelina smiled as she opened up one of the bags to see more business attire.
Zaria returned the smile before turning to look at Adrik. There was an uncomfortable silence that settled on them.
"He finished the paperwork," Avelina finally spoke up.
Zaria nodded her head and grabbed the papers from his desk before turning and walking out of the office.
"So, have you and Zaria ever had a relationship?" Avelina asked.
"No.”
Avelina bit down on her cheek as she contemplated asking the next question. Her mind was inquisitive, and she was beginning to believe that Adrik's blunt behavior was rubbing off on her.
"Why not?"
"Miss Kensley is a lesbian, and I am not a woman," Adrik said in a tone that reeked of the words 'it's obvious.’
"Oh.”
All of the jealousy was for absolutely nothing.
"I'm sorry," she said softly.
"Your apologizing is quite annoying. We've spoken about what over apologizing does to one's character, Avelina.”
Letting out a sigh, she decided just to say nothing at all.
"Tomorrow will be more chaotic with meetings and such, so be prepared. As for now, we are finished," Adrik told her.
She nodded her head and stood up from her seat as he did.
"Let's head home, Avelina."
CHAPTER SIX
Care for Home
They arrived at the mansion. The ride home was utterly silent except for the engine’s occasional roar.
Once they were back into the spacious home, Avelina awkwardly threw off the cardigan she had placed over her outfit. From the moment it hit the couch, she noticed a cringed expression on Adrik's face. It didn’t take Adrik long to walk over to the cardigan and pick it up.
"One thing I need help understanding is if Zaria is your assistant, why doesn't she help you with everything you're going to need me for?" Avelina asked him to relieve the awkward silence.
"It is easier for me to talk to you than Miss Kensley. Originally, you were not supposed to assist me at work, but I want you to. Partially, because things feel more authentic with you around.”
She puckered her lips off to the side in thought. Avelina found herself growing warm at the hidden compliment he had just given her.
Her gaze seemed to follow him as he placed her cardigan on a coat rack.
"Adrik, you barely know me. It's shocking how you can talk to me, but you can't talk to people you've probably known for way longer," Avelina said.
"I know. It is something that I cannot find an answer to.”
She focused her attention on him as he walked past her and towards the kitchen. She couldn't help but follow him like a little lost puppy. Every word that left his mouth made her so intrigued.
"You not having an answer to something is impossible," she chuckled out sarcastically.
"That's inaccurate. There are many things that I do not have the answer to. Therefore, it is not precisely impossible.”
She placed her hand on her hip as a huge smile broke out on her face.
"I was exaggerating. People sometimes exaggerate their words to get their point across more effectively," she laughed out.
"Oh, 'impossible' is used to exaggerate," Adrik told himself.
Avelina glanced over at him, her smile never leaving her face. She found him adorable. "It is sometimes used to exaggerate, not all the time.”
He seemed to catch on pretty quickly.
As Avelina began to gather all of the ingredients needed to make his dinner, she lost herself in her thoughts. One thing she noticed about Adrik was that he appeared to miss specific social cues. She also picked up on how he never seemed to get it when she said a joke. He took everything she said literally, and she had to remember to teach him the figurative side of words as well.
She suddenly thought back to Johnathan's advice and how he had suggested Avelina to tell Adrik when he hurt her feelings. Her smile quickly replaced itself with a frown. He doesn't even know that words can hurt others.
"Adrik.”
"Avelina," he responded.
"I want to talk to you about something.”
He looked beyond discombobulated.
Avelina leaned against the island that sat in the middle of the kitchen as she continued to gaze at him. One of her favorite things was studying every feature on his face. It was so fascinating to her.
"Oh," he spoke.
"It hurt my feelings to hear you say that I am annoying. Sure, I apologize a lot, but it’s not because I am stupid or lack confidence. I apologize because I truly feel sorry for whatever wrong I did," she explained to him softly.
Avelina turned back to prepping his dinner, feeling a bit better about herself. When she glanced up at him, she noticed the way he was tapping his fingers against the counter.
His shoulders had fallen as he looked off somewhere in the distance.
"I am sorry. I did not intend to hurt you; I only want to make you better.”
She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his frame.
"You said that you would only be strictly doing your jo-"
"I know what I said, Adrik. I'm just giving us a few seconds to be friends," she smiled as she hugged him tighter.
Just like their time in the elevator, he seemed not to know how to respond.
"Hug me back," she chuckled before grabbing his arms and placing them around her waist.
She could feel the lowering of his chest against her ear as he let out an exhale. Everything just felt so warm in his arms. She loved his hugs more than anything else.
"You're lucky I grew up with a tough granny. Otherwise, I don't think I would be able to handle your critiques," she chuckled.
"Okay.”
She gently pulled away as her eyes went to look into his. There was something so beautiful about him, and it made her smile. Avelina was quick to step out of his arms and walk back toward the kitchen. She had to remind herself that he was her client.
"Do you have a family?" She asked, trying to come up with something to change the tension in the air.
Her attention was quick to return to her cooking as the sound of Adrik sitting down in a chair could be heard.
"I have my mother and my older sister," he answered.
"Do you still talk to them?"
"No."
"Oh, okay," she said awkwardly as she finally finished the food.
She wanted to make sure that Adrik ate his food and the only way for that to happen was if she gave him his food at just the right time. Her eyes went to the clock to see that there were still about ten minutes to spare.
"Aren't you going to ask me about my family?" She asked, her smile growing as she thought about them.
"No.”
"My granny was the best woman in the world. She took care of me. My granny was the only real family I
ever had, and I am happy that I got to experience the beginning of life with such a wonderful woman," she explained sadly.
"Sorry to hear that.”
"Do you truly not care about anything?" She asked, thinking back to the last time he had said those words.
"I no longer have an answer to that question. Once, I believed I did not, but I know that I care about you.”
Avelina's jaw dropped as she tried to process his words. Her eyebrows couldn't stop themselves from knotting together as she stared at Adrik. She couldn't believe he had just said that. They barely knew each other, and she knew how bad it would look on her, seeing as she was supposed to be his care-provider. "Adrik, you don't mean that. I work for you. It’s completely unprofessional.”
He stood up from his seat and walked toward her. His hand went directly on her hip, leaving her breathing to go unsteady.
"I did not lie.”
Her eyes were glued to his as his hand on her hip moved up her body. She couldn't stop the small gasp that left her mouth.
"How can you care about me? You don't even know me," she whispered.
"You walked into my home with Johnathan beside you, and I saw you. I can look at you and speak to you without feeling as though it were wrong. I need you near me because I care," he explained.
She could tell that he was doing his best to explain how he felt. "You don't think that's a little too fast?"
"Science states that in only a fifth of a second you could fall in love. It’s the factors of people being too scared to commit, afraid of rejection, and other things such as 'unprofessionalism' that cause them to push the love they feel away. People don't know that the brain focused on reproducing by releasing dopamine—a hormone—and oxytocin—primarily from a woman after having sex. The more time you spend with a person, the more oxytocin and dopamine seems to release into your body. However, the high of being in love wears off, which initiates cheating and divorces. It’s just that some couples remain in love and happy by finding something else to catch that high of dopamine and oxytocin along with serotonin," he explained.
Avelina's eyebrows rose as she tried to comprehend what he had just said.
The sound of the front door opening had interrupted them.
Avelina wandered over towards the front to see Anton and Johnathan walk in with a bunch of bags. She quickly realized that they were carrying the clothes that she had accidentally left at the office. She hoped that Zaria did not view her as ungrateful for forgetting to take the clothing home.
"I'll take these to your bedroom," Anton said, walking up the stairs with the bags in his hands.
Avelina smiled sweetly at him before her attention shifted over to Johnathan.
"So, how's Adrik been treating you?" Johnathan asked.
She thought back to Adrik's words and couldn't help but frown as confusion tormented her thoughts.
"Things have been okay.”
"Doesn't look like it," he chuckled.
She smiled at him but chose not to respond.
"So, I thought if you weren't busy this weekend, that maybe we could go to this dinner spot that I found. It's fine if you don't want to," Johnathan said while rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
Avelina’s eyes shifted over to Adrik, who had just entered the room. She didn't even notice his presence until that very moment. Her gaze went over to his clenched fists as he took a step toward them.
"I'm not sure. I’d have to talk to Adrik, seeing as he needs me this weekend.”
"Nonsense. Mr. Zolotov doesn't need you here every second of the day. Sure, he's weird, but the true reason of why you are even here-"
"Adrik!"
Shock took over Avelina’s features as she watched Adrik deliver a blow to the side of Johnathan's head. Blood slipped from Johnathan’s nose while his cheek speedily bruised up.
Adrik was fuming. She didn't know how to respond as she just stood there. Suddenly, she watched as he pulled something from his pocket.
The moment he aimed it at Johnathan, she realized it was a gun.
"Adrik, stop!"
When he didn't move a muscle to stop what he was doing, she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him.
"Listen to me," she said, speaking slower and quieter than before. "It's okay, Adrik. Trust me. It’s okay."
Her hand trailed up his muscular back very slowly, and she could feel him lower the gun. His breathing was quick to calm, leaving her grip around his body to slowly loosen.
“You are fired, Jonathan. Get the hell out of my house.”
Adrik pulled away from Avelina and walked up the stairs where Anton was already descending.
Anton looked beyond confused as he eyed an angry Adrik. Then, he looked at Johnathan, who was whining like a baby while cupping his cheek.
"What the hell happened?" Anton asked.
"I'm going to go check on him," Avelina whispered to absolutely no one before racing up the stairs.
She immediately made her way to his room only to see him looking out the window.
"Adrik.”
He didn't even turn to look at her since his eyes remained focused on the outdoors. She took a few steps into his bedroom before shutting the door behind her.
"I am angry, Avelina," he spoke.
"I know.”
"It was disrespectful to me. Not only that, but I do not want you to go to dinner with anyone," he spoke, his anger seeming to return as he clenched his fists once more.
Avelina walked over to him and reached for his hands. She was quick to undo his clenched fists as she found herself never wanting to let go.
Avelina hugged him dearly as her head found its way into the crook of his neck. Her nose inhaled his rich scent that embraced her in a calmness.
He began to relax against her hold and found himself placing his head on top of hers. Even his arms wrapped around her frame gracefully.
"It's okay."
CHAPTER SEVEN
Care for Music
Johnathan and Anton had left not even a second after the whole encounter.
The whole situation was unexpected. Avelina still couldn't bring herself to break apart from Adrik. He seemed as if he didn't want her to leave his side, either. There was such a strong pull that existed between the two of them.
"I realized that you probably didn't eat your dinner," Avelina whispered as a frown coated her features.
"I had eaten quite a bit before Johnathan had shown up.”
She smiled at his words before walking over to the edge of his bed, where she sat down. He had already been lying down with a book in his hand as his eyes read through the text.
"I'm happy to hear that," she smiled.
Avelina found herself scooting slightly closer to him. He was quick to notice her body inching closer towards him. His eyes seemed to skim down her body before returning to the book.
"What are you reading?"
Avelina noticed how he moved over to allow her to have room beside him if she wanted it. Her eyes fell on the empty spot just before meeting Adrik's silver orbs.
"Come lie down with me, and I will tell you all about it.”
She managed to contemplate whether or not it'd be a good idea to lay beside him. Her mind was begging her to do it. She wanted to be surrounded by his warmth and to drown in his heavenly scent. For some reason, her logic only put her in a state of not knowing if lying beside him in bed was a smart decision.
Before she could end the brutal battle of her overthinking, Adrik wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into his chest. Avelina was quick to gain that fluttering-feeling she managed to receive when she was near Adrik. Only this time, things felt more intimate. She had to stop her arm from curling around Adrik's muscular frame due to her temptation screaming at her to do it.
She looked at his face as he continued to read his book.
"I find you so extraordinary," she whispered, intending to keep her thoughts in her head.
He glanced over at her, his e
yebrows coming together for a brief moment.
"If you are telling a joke, I am afraid that I do not find it humorous," he spoke.
Avelina frowned at his words before bringing her hand up to graze his cheekbone only to ensure that he was real. "No, Adrik, I'm not joking. You are so smart, so brave, and so strong. I don't think I've ever met someone that inspires me in the way you do. I feel as though I could take over the world when I speak to you. Maybe that's why I find it so intriguing to listen to every word that comes from you."
He could only stare at her in response. There was a feeling that spread throughout his body that he just could not describe. No one had ever said anything like that to him, which is one of the reasons he found Avelina so fascinating. There were so many words he wanted to say, and so many things he wished he could do in that moment, but the battle he fought with his mind never seemed to win.
"Okay," he stated.
Even as her eyes happened to skim through the words written in the book, he was looking at her. He was tracing every feature of her face deep within his memory. He was saying the words he wanted to say out loud but only in the echoes of his mind hoping that she could one day hear them.
"So, you promised to tell me about your book," she chuckled.
Her hand moved away from Adrik’s face and over to the novel in his hands.
"It is an informational text about Ludwig van Beethoven as well as his classical works.”
"Right. The German composer that you admire," she smiled as she recalled the memory from when she had first heard Adrik play piano.
"Yes. Did you know that he began to lose his hearing around the age of twenty-six? He was no longer capable of hearing shortly before his death. No one is completely sure of what happened to his hearing. Many believed it was caused by a disease such as smallpox or typhus that appeared in his earlier years as a child," Adrik informed Avelina before returning his attention to his book.
"I didn't know that, but I'm happy that I do now.”
Her eyes remained on Adrik's book before they trailed up his arms to his shoulders and then his face. He had taken his suit off and replaced it with a thin white V-neck that hugged his muscles so perfectly.